My latest story on the criminal case against former Kamaaina Termite & Pest Control owner, Michael J. Miske, Jr. and several co-defendants was published early today over at Civil Beat (“The Miske Case Has Become One Of The Most Complex Prosecutions In The Country/Defense attorneys are preparing a major attack against a prosecution case that has amassed more than 2 million documents“).
From the lede:
In the realm of sports, it’s often said the best defense is a good offense.
Now attorneys representing former Honolulu business owner Michael John Miske Jr. have served notice they intend to follow that playbook and go on the offensive when his case goes to trial next year.
Miske is accused of controlling and directing a long-running and violent racketeering conspiracy that engaged in a wide range of criminal activities, including murder and murder-for-hire, kidnapping, arson, armed robbery, drug trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
The trial of Miske and seven remaining defendants is scheduled to begin in April and last several months.
Miske’s legal team, headed by co-counsel Thomas Otake and Lynn Panagakos, have clearly signaled they intend to come out swinging.
“We’re fighting, because they are trying to put this man away for life,” Panagakos told Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield during a court hearing in May.
This is actually only part of the story that I had been working on for a while. I had a hard time wrestling it into shape, and suddenly it was over 3,500 words and still not finished. At that point, I realized it was too much for a single story, and somewhat arbitrarily split it into two, with the second part still needing additional work.
Anyway, check out the story. I’ll be back later to review a few things that were omitted in the Civil Beat version.
Discover more from i L i n d
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thanks Ian for “wrestling” this ongoing saga… into a good read but it’s to bad Civil beat has banned myself and I suspect many other people who comment on your very thorough investigative work… Civil beat refuses to answer questions about why they ban me and perhaps the right thing to do is sue them for denying my constitutional free speech???
Anyway, I hope you elaborate on on the harm and damages to persons and property that are stacking up against the innocent man who is going to have his days in court to fight for that innocent status. I suspect that the feds will produce many ordinary folks who suffered damage to their lives from merely coming into close contact with him, his viscous dog and associates in public places…. a lasting impression remains and I pray that justice is served swiftly and faithfully for we the people.
“Civil beat refuses to answer questions about why they ban me and perhaps the right thing to do is sue them for denying my constitutional free speech???”
CB is a private entity and can do as it pleases. It’s not even obligated to publish comments at all. If you don’t like it, you can start your own news blog as well.
Its hard to tell if you’re tyring to be sarcastic…
You mean “vicious,” not “viscous” (jelly-like), and Civil Beat doesn’t have a constitutional duty to print your comments. I hope this helps.
P. S. Thanks for the “help”…
“Google chooses to spell check sabotage me often””
Not me. I misspelled “vicious” all by myself.
And will join with others in wishing Ian a happy birthday!
Thank you, Ian! Very helpful account.
Happy birthday, too!!
Ben
Hello Ian,
Enjoy your in-depth reporting style and I am curious if you are mentoring anyone to carry on your work when you finally commit yourself to full retirement? It would be a shame that all your Journalism experiences did not pass over to the next generation of investigative reporters.
Ok, back to your latest Miske article and a couple of questions regarding it have been simmering in my brain:
1) How has Mr. Miske been able to carry-on his criminal activities for so long without being checked by local law enforcement agencies?
2) I’ve seen mention of a tie-in with the Kealohas and the Kaneshiro Prosecutors office but even with this connection it seems so implausible that this alone would shield Mr. Miske from the attention/prosecution of honest local law enforcement officers?
Who else has aided Mr.Miske and will their names be exposed so that they too can be prosecuted?
3) What are the chances that Mr.Miske flips and decides to turn Government witness,thus revealing the hidden hand that has guided him from prosecution all these years?
Sorry I’m not Ian but your points are interesting and have led me to come to my unscientific conclusion: You give TOO MUCH credit to HPD and assume they could have picked apart the details and then assemble a credible case against Miske. You assume there are any “honest local law enforcement officers” in HNL that would have risked his/her career by rocking the boat and poking a hornet’s nest.
In other words, I honestly believe HPD is too incompetent to take on such a case. Naturally that’s just an opinion but if you look at their record for clearing cases and then ex chief Ballard’s amazing statement about the PD putting “less important” property crimes, etc on the back burner due to lack of manpower, etc and you’ll know where I get part of my assessment.
I’m not knee jerk anti HPD but then again I’m no “Blue Lives Matter” screamer either. Basically ambivalent and resigned to the complacency that is the Hawaii brand. Miske was operating in the perfect environment for Miske at the right time. The convergence of incompetence and complacency with a few dashes of corrupt individuals with power (Ozawa, Kealohas).
Cheers.
Appreciate you sharing you’re opinion and after reading it I’m even more worried than before about HPD’s ability to Protect and Serve our community.
Let’s see where this Miske trial leads and what can be done to prevent such blatant disregard for the Law by the Miske criminals aided by the various corrupt local law enforcement officers and public officials from happening again.
Hmm. Does it really take 2 million documents to prove the case? That figure seems very odd.
Probably not. But that’s what’s been collected over the years. And it includes business and financial records of Miske companies seized at the time of his indictment and arrest.